Side by side for the faith of the gospel

Transcription

1 Mission Fund 2015 Side by side for the faith of the gospel Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund

2 From the Executive Director Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. Philippians 1:27 (ESV) 2 Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund 2015

3 Table of Contents From the Executive Director... 4 What God is Doing in the Present... 7 The Midwest/Northwest Region... 8 Hastings, NE... 9 Northeast Philadelphia, PA Mexico What We Anticipate God Doing in the Future Giving Opportunities Greatest Need Unreached People Groups United States Regional Church Planting Latin America Pacific Rim Pastors College Africa Financial Report 2014 Sovereign Grace Churches, Inc Schedule of Revenues and Expenses Balance Sheet Closing Note... 22

4 From the Executive Director Dear Friends, Philippians 1:27 says, Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. That verse captures what I see in Sovereign Grace. People who have been saved by the gospel, now seeking to live in a manner worthy of the gospel by standing firm in one spirit and striving side by side for the sake of the gospel. We are a family of churches who are committed to laboring together to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ to reach every tribe, tongue, and nation with the good news of Jesus Christ. Because of this glorious cause, I want to share with you some of the specific ways where I see God at work strengthening Sovereign Grace so we can continue to strive side by side for the gospel. Growing Faith As I ve traveled to 36 of our churches over the last 18 months, I see a growing, pronounced faith for our future from the members and pastors of our churches who are excited about our mission. As I ve cast vision for our shared gospel mission, my faith has been stirred by you. You, the members of our churches, have encouraged me for how we will continue to strive side by side for the gospel. Our Polity Is Strengthening Us Our new polity was fully implemented as of November 1, I know polity can sound boring, but over the last year, I ve seen it strengthen Sovereign Grace as our pastors labor together for our mission under the leadership of our seven regional leaders. Church Planting We are actively planting or replanting nine churches in six of our seven regions in the United States. I m aware of at least ten people who have trusted Christ as a result of the churches we have recently planted. Because Sovereign Grace continues to be a global family of churches called to advance the gospel by planting and building churches throughout the world, I m excited about the 4 Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund 2015

5 gospel activity I see through our churches in Mexico, England, Australia, Bolivia, Africa and South Korea. Please pray for Rich Richardson, our new Director of Global Missions, as he leads us to strive side by side globally. Church Adoption The number of churches who have shown tangible interest in being adopted into Sovereign Grace has increased in the last 12 months. Over the past year, three churches have been adopted into our family of churches: Community of Grace (Buffalo, NY), Grace Life Fellowship (Hastings, NE), and Sovereign Grace Church (LaGrange, GA). Music Ministry God continues to give Sovereign Grace Music broad influence. Bob Kauflin, our Director of Music and Worship, has hosted Worship God conferences in both the UK and California in the last year. Under his leadership, our 30th anniversary album and our second Christmas album, Prepare Him Room, were released. Pastors College Under the leadership of our Director of Theology and Training, Jeff Purswell, ten students graduated from our Pastors College last year. In working with Arche Church, Jeff also helped start a Pastors College in Hamburg, Germany which is equipping pastors and church planters from Germany, Ukraine and Russia. These are just some of the ways God has been at work strengthening our family of churches over the last year. And as you read in the following pages about additional ways that God is at work in Sovereign Grace, be aware that all we have accomplished is because of God s grace at work in us. Lastly, thanks for your prayers and financial support of our shared mission. Without your sacrificial giving, we wouldn t be able to effectively plant new churches, strengthen existing churches, train men for pastoral ministry, produce God-exalting music, and proclaim the gospel throughout the world. Thanks for your faithful support of Sovereign Grace. It is a joy and a privilege to strive side by side next to you for the gospel. Grateful for your partnership, Mark Prater Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund

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7 What God is Doing in the Present Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund

8 The Midwest/Northwest Region Interview with Rick Gamache, Midwest/Northwest Regional Leader What is God doing in your region that you are most excited about? Our region is geographically huge (covering states in the Midwest and Northwest), but relatively small (six churches in five states). Yet since the implementation of the polity, we have doubled our elders to 18 total. I believe that is preparation for growth and gospel advancement in our individual churches and in our region. That excites me and fills me and the rest of the guys with faith and eager expectation. Aslan is on the move! How has the new structure facilitated mission within your region? The Regional Church Planting Committee and our Regional Elders have worked together to adopt Grace Life Fellowship in Hastings, Nebraska. It is a wonderful church with an amazing elder team that we couldn t be more thrilled about partnering with in our shared mission. We are also in the process of adopting CrossHaven Church in Belleville, Illinois. And we ve begun to work and pray together about the possibility of a church plant in Wichita, Kansas. It s hard to imagine how these things would happen so quickly and effectively without our new structure and polity. As you consider the future, what are you trusting the Lord to do in your region? I pray regularly for a God-honoring, Christexalting, Spirit-filled, Bible-saturated Sovereign Grace church to be planted or adopted in every state in the region in the next years. The reason I have faith for that is because every church in our region is all in to advance the gospel for God s glory. And God has blessed each church with leaders and potential leaders who just may be the men to make the dream a reality. 8 Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund 2015

9 Hastings, Nebraska Church Adoption Interview with Chad Haygood As you consider the future, what are you most excited about in your partnership with Sovereign Grace? We love the doctrinal fidelity of Sovereign Grace. We love that we share the same values. We love the polity. It has been thrilling to join at this time, because we believe that God has positioned our family of churches for a faithful, healthy, and growing future. Since coming into Sovereign Grace, we have seen the Lord work tremendously. We have grown numerically. There is a unity in our passion for mission together. Hurting people are being helped. The unreached are being reached! What specific stories of conversion would you like to share? This past year we began working with a couple whose marriage was in turmoil. Divorce was not only a possibility, but seemed inevitable. In desperation, this couple reached out for help and counsel. Though not members of our church, we felt compelled to help as much as we could. Miracles began to happen: The husband was brought to his knees in brokenness over his sin. The Lord redeemed his soul, and now this marriage has turned around as well. What once seemed like a hopeless case was gloriously changed in ways that can only be explained by the power of the gospel! How have you benefited from Sovereign Grace in the adoption process? We have been the beneficiaries of many blessings from our partnership with Sovereign Grace. The relationships keep growing deeper while providing us with encouragement, help, and examples that we have longed to see and experience. Watching the polity work to advance the unity and mission of our family of churches is also a great encouragement. We know the best is yet to come for Sovereign Grace and we re so thankful to have joined! Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund

10 Northeast Philadelphia A Church Planting Testimony from Dan Birkholz I have the privilege of leading a church plant in the Wissinoming neighborhood of Philadelphia. What has God been doing among us? He has been redeeming people from their trouble. For instance, Tracy is a grandma who lives across the street from our church building. As we entered the neighborhood of Wissinoming over a year ago, a couple folks told us to keep a safe distance from this woman because She is a brawler. But God in His power has redeemed Tracy. She now confesses faith in the person and work of Christ, and she is faithful to bring her grandchildren who have been abandoned by their drug-addicted mom. You ll find Tracy regularly calling out in the middle of the sermon, Dan, break it down for us, man! And you ll find her after our gatherings diligently serving by cleaning up our coffee station and taking out the trash. She once told me, Dan I ve been praying for you and your family. So from throwing fists to lifting up prayers, God is doing a beautiful work in this woman. God s mission is accomplished through a beautiful orchestration of means. Sovereign Grace, you are a family of churches that is a beautiful means to Grace City Church Wissinoming. We are the boots on the ground, but every set of boots needs vital support. And without your support financially, relationally, and spiritually, we would not be able to do what we are doing. You, as God s beautiful means, are responsible for the life change I mention above. Please know what your sacrifice and generosity is accomplishing. 10 Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund 2015

11 Mexico A Testimony About God s Work in Mexico from Carlos Contreras In the summer of 2012, one of our leaders, Carlos Alberto Ortiz, approached us about planting a church in what many believe is the most unreached area in Latin America. The city Arandas is located right at the center of the Los Altos de Jalisco region, where there are dozens of communities with less than 1% Christians. It is still a small church, but it already has a recognizable presence in the city. We are all committed to see it grow and hopefully become a base to plant multiple churches in this difficult region. As we were getting ready to start the church in Arandas, we were referred to a pastor in Guadalajara named Luis Bermea who had labored for 30 years to build a church in that city. His church immediately offered to join us in our effort to plant in Arandas. They are currently looking for a new facility that will enable them to expand and be more fruitful. We have been working with them for about two years now, and Guadalajara has officially asked us to adopt them as Gracia Soberana de Guadalajara! God is also using Elías Reyes in Aguascalientes to serve other churches. About a year ago, a group of leaders expressed to him their interest in a relationship with Sovereign Grace. They wanted to plant a Sovereign Grace church in Durango, which is a four-hour drive north of Aguascalientes. Elías started working with Pastor Israel Espino and they started meetings this summer, quickly filling their current meeting facilities. They also have officially asked us to adopt their new church as Gracia Soberana Durango! These new possibilities motivated us to sponsor our own Pastors Conference in Juarez with the help of the existing Mexican Sovereign Grace churches. This past May, we held our second conference. We invited pastors from six Hispanic nations and eighteen cities. By live streaming the conference, we were able to reach thousands of people in eighteen countries. We plan to have our own Jeff Purswell and Bob Kauflin join Dr. Miguel Núñez for our third conference in Sovereign Grace Churches are our partners in being able to attempt and do things that we could never do by ourselves. Our partnership allows us to dream and attempt bigger things for the Kingdom of God. Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund

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13 What We Anticipate God Doing in the Future Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund

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15 What We Anticipate God Doing in the Future After reading about the many great things God is doing, I hope your faith is stirred to anticipate what God will do in and through our family of churches in the future. I also hope that you will prayerfully consider joining us. Ask God what you might give, and no matter what, please continue to pray for us. The aim of all our ministry is to plant and build healthy churches that proclaim Christ and Him crucified. As you pray, consider partnering with us through one or more of these giving opportunities: Giving Opportunities 2015 Greatest Need We will use your gift to fund all four of our mission priorities: planting churches, global missions, training pastors, and producing gospel-centered resources and music. Unreached People Groups We will use these funds to support missions work to reach Unreached People Groups with the gospel throughout the world. A portion of these funds will support a couple that is currently receiving cross-cultural training in preparation to be sent to an Unreached People Group in the next two years. United States Regional Church Planting Churches in each region partner together to plant other churches within their region to reach the lost with the gospel. The money given to this fund is used to train church planters and fund church plants in the U.S. region your church is a part of. Latin America We will use this fund to support church plants and to strengthen strategic relationships in countries like Mexico and Bolivia. Your giving will also help equip pastors in Latin America by supporting a Spanish-speaking Pastors Conference led by Carlos Contreras in Juarez in August Pacific Rim These funds enable pastoral training as we seek to plant and support churches in countries such as Australia, South Korea, and the Philippines. Pastors College We subsidize over half of the cost of training for each full time student. Your giving helps us cover these costs to train and equip our future pastors and ongoing training of current pastors. Africa We will direct these funds to support gospel work and equip pastors through local churches in countries such as Zambia and Ethiopia. Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund

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17 Financial Report 2014 Sovereign Grace Churches, Inc. Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund

18 Schedule of Revenues and Expenses For the Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2014 Program Services Church Missions Church Missions Pastors United States Global College REVENUES Contributions - Churches Contribution - Mission Fund 34,421 88,569 35,077 Contribution - Other 68,406 10,000 Sales Tuition & Fees 69,475 Event Receipts 8,770 Investment & Other 2,443 TOTAL REVENUES 111,597 98, ,995 EXPENSES Compensation & Benefits 350,702 98, ,089 Education & Training 24,227 2,501 Cost Of Good Sold Gifts & Grants 315, ,197 3,746 Travel & Hospitality 136,708 89,018 32,631 Office & Insurance 14,210 5,335 7,183 Promotion Sound, Video & Technology 2, ,357 Building 2,063 43,066 Depreciation & Amortization 11,856 8,102 Other 26, ,(34) General & Admin Allocation 14,101 12,868 67,684 TOTAL EXPENSES 887, , ,325 NET INCOME (LOSS) ($775,472) ($ 213,403) ($ 297,330) 18 Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund 2015

19 Supporting Services Total Events & Development & FY 2014 FY 2013 Resources Administration Total Total $1,181,898 $1.181,898 $1.248,808 2, , , ,277 78, , , , ,183 69,475 46, , , , ,723 80, , , ,625 1,434,720 2,538,506 2,920, , , , , , , ,204 26, , , ,657 5, , , , ,123 26, , ,826 36,125 58, , ,068 19,494 19,494 45,353 66,047 37, , ,398 56,109 97, , ,938 14,032 81, , ,133 38,946 49, , , ,700 (199,353) , ,851 2,910,648 4,558,398 ($ 183,806) $ 1,097,869 ($ 372,142) ($ 1,637,772) Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund

20 Balance Sheet ASSETS 08/31/14 8/31/13 Cash & Cash Equivalents $ 395,569 $ 128,354 Investments 446,332 1,226,008 Accounts Receivable 15,833 18,911 Notes Receivable 76,721 99,631 Inventory 323, ,325 Building & Equipment 1,491,361 1,595,667 Other Assets 77,458 83,269 Total Assets $ 2,827,050 $ 3,442,165 LIABILITIES & NET ASSETS Accounts Payable & Accrued Expenses $ 154,831 $ 384,573 Deferred Rent Liabilities 16,443 22,081 Deferred Revenue 38,420 43,310 Capital Lease Obligations 5,287 7,990 Total Liabilities 214, ,953 Unrestricted Net Assets 2,609,679 2,929,041 Temporarily Restricted Net Assets 2,390 55,170 Total Net Assets 2,612,069 2,984,211 Total Liabilities & Net Assets $ 2,827,050 $ 3,442, Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund 2015

21 WHERE WE INVESTED OUR FUNDS Category FY 2014 Expenses Church Missions-Domestic $ 887,069 Church Missions-International 311,972 Pastors College 404,325 Events & Resources 970,431 Development & Administration 336,851 Total $ 2,910,648 Development & Administration Events & Resources Pastors College 33% 12% 14% 30% 11% Church Missions Domestic Church Missions International WHERE OUR MONEY CAME FROM Category FY 2014 Revenues Church Contributions $ 1,181,898 Mission Fund & Other Gifts 411,292 Pastors College Tuition/Rent 71,918 Events & Resources 793,129 Investment & Other 80,269 Total $ 2,538,506 Investment & Other Events & Resources Pastors College Tuition/Rent 31% 3% 3% 16% 47% Church Contributions Mission Fund & Other Gifts Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund

22 Closing Note Friend, After reading about just some of the ways God is presently at work in Sovereign Grace, I hope your faith is stirred for all that He will do through our family of churches in the coming year. Because we have so much more good gospel work to do, would you not only pray for our shared mission, would you please give financially to our shared mission as well? Here s why: we have more gospel mission opportunities before us presently than we have the ability to fund them. The opportunities to plant churches and participate in gospel mission to reach the lost with the gospel in Australia, South Korea, Africa, Mexico, Bolivia, the United Kingdom, and the United States far exceed our ability to support them financially. So, would you read through the giving opportunities and prayerfully consider giving to Sovereign Grace? According to Philippians 4:18 your generous giving is pleasing to God. So, as you give, my prayer is that you would be aware of God s pleasure. Let me end where I began, Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27). It is a joy for me to strive side by side with each of you as we together seek to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ all over the world for the fame and glory of His great name. With appreciation for your faithful participation in our shared mission, Mark Prater 22 Sovereign Grace Churches Mission Fund 2015

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